(Chicago, Illinois) October 28, 2013- The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) announced today that its clinical simulation program received accreditation from The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) after meeting the society's core standards for accreditation. The first-ever medical association to earn SSH accreditation, and one of only 22 programs accredited nationally for its clinical simulation program, the ACCP received special recognition from SSH in the areas of assessment, education and teaching, and research.
Accreditation approval from SSH positions ACCP as a leader in clinical simulation education. After initiating a handful of simulation-based education courses in 2005, ACCP now offers nearly 80 different simulation-enhanced educational opportunities each year, attracting clinicians who specialize in chest medicine from across the United States and abroad.
"Clinicians are increasingly looking for educational opportunities that provide them with expert, hands-on training in the latest health-care innovations to advance their clinical practice, in addition to meeting Joint Commission requirements for regular assessment of their practice performance. SSH accreditation reflects the high standards that the ACCP demands of its simulation programs, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care and safety through these learning opportunities," stated Alexander Niven, MD, FCCP, and chair of ACCP's Simulation Workgroup.
ACCP's simulation education offerings soon will be housed in a brand-new 15,000-square-foot Innovation, Simulation, and Training Center in Glenview, Illinois, which is slated to open in early 2014. This new facility will continue ACCP's progress toward furthering an emphasis on advanced clinical education, training, simulation, and educational research efforts. The center will feature an auditorium, six simulation suites, and eight breakout rooms all of which integrate a variety of educational methods, including task trainers plus low- and high-fidelity simulators, providing hands-on learning opportunities for practicing physicians and their teams.
"ACCP's investment in this program and a new, state-of-the-art facility reflect the organization's deep commitment to expanding opportunities for simulation-based education," stated ACCP CEO, Paul Markowski, CAE. "This accreditation allows the ACCP to help clinicians meet new challenges and address the increasing demands for more complex and specialized training."
Learn more about ACCP's Innovation, Simulation, and Training Center—one of the most advanced medical simulation centers in the world, at BeyondOurWalls.org. Find out about upcoming simulation courses at chestnet.org.
About the ACCP The ACCP is a global community of clinicians and allied health professionals working in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. The ACCP publishes the CHEST Journal and is recognized as a trusted provider of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and as a resource for advanced training through conferences and innovative online courses. Headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, the ACCP represents more than 18,700 members from more than 100 countries. For information about the ACCP, visit the ACCP website at http://www.chestnet.org, or follow the ACCP on Facebook and Twitter.